Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This vegan lentil shepherd’s pie is great for a holiday get-together. I would recommend using any kind of lentil except red lentils for this dish. Green, black, or brown lentils work well here as they hold their shape nicely, while red lentils will get pretty mushy when cooked. Because we are topping this dish with mashed potatoes, I didn’t want two layers of mush, and instead prefer the lentils to keep their shape and add texture. Depending on the type of lentil you choose, you may have to adjust your cook time (step 5 below) to allow them to cook thoroughly. Look at the directions for the type of lentil you choose as they may take anywhere from 15-40 minutes.

The recipe below calls for sweet potatoes, but a regular mashed potato topping would be equally as delicious if you prefer a less sweet option, or if sweet potatoes just aren’t your jam. I personally like them on this dish, especially at Thanksgiving, as they offer a nice savory sweet potato option.

Makes enough for a 9x13 baking dish (or a bit more depending on the size of the veggies you use). Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

  • Lentil Filling

    • 1 tbsp olive oil

    • 1 small onion, diced

    • 3 medium carrots, diced

    • 3 celery stalks, diced

    • 1 small zucchini, diced

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    • 1/2 tsp thyme

    • 1/4 tsp rosemary

    • 1 tsp paprika

    • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

    • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

    • 1 cup lentils

    • 3 cups vegetable broth

    • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

    • 1 tbsp dijon mustard

    • salt and pepper to taste

  • Sweet Potato Topping

    • 2 large sweet potatoes, diced in 1” chunks

    • 1 clove garlic, minced

    • 2 tbsp plant-based butter

    • 1/3 cup plant-based milk

    • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

    • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

  2. Saute diced onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini until just beginning to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

  3. Stir in garlic, thyme, rosemary, and paprika and saute for another minute until the spices are very fragrant.

  4. Add in the tomato paste and saute for another 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste begins to turn a deep shade of red and browns a bit, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

  5. Add diced tomatoes, lentils, vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard. Reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until lentils are cooked through, stirring occasionally. Feel free to add a bit more broth or water if needed to cook the lentils through.

  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  7. While the lentils are cooking preheat the oven to 425F and begin to prepare the mashed sweet potato topping by putting the sweet potatoes in pot on the stove. Add enough water to the pot to cover all of the potatoes by about 1”.

  8. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to a gentle boil, cooking for about 10-15 minutes until fork-tender.

  9. When potatoes are tender, drain and return to the pot in which you boiled them. Add the garlic, butter, milk, salt and pepper.

  10. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork to reach desired consistency. You can mash them until very smooth or leave them a little chunkier if you prefer.

  11. In a 9x13-inch baking dish**, layer the lentil filling in the bottom and top with the mashed sweet potatoes, spreading them evenly over the lentil mixture.

  12. Bake in the oven at 425F for about 20-25 minutes or until the top of the potato layer begins to brown nicely.

**Depending on the size of the vegetables you use, you may end up with a bit more or less of the base filling than fits in a 9x13 dish. Feel free to size your dish up or down accordingly.

RecipesTara Felser, MS, RDNComment